Mitra Mitrović bila je prva ministarka u istoriji Srbije, spisateljica, učesnica Narodnooslobodilačke borbe tokom Drugog svetskog rata. Borila se za rodnu ravnopravnost i bolji položaj žene u društvu.
Mitra je tokom studentskih dana bila aktivna u studentskim i omladinskim organizacijama i učestvovala je na demonstracijama neposredno pred početak rata. 1936. godine učestvuje u osnivanju časopisa „Žena danas“, koji cenzura zabranjuje 1940. godine, ali ponovo počinje da izlazi 1943. godine. Mitra je kontinuirano bila deo redakcije „Žene danas“ i za te novine je pisala tekstove o rodnoj ravnopravnosti. Tokom rata je takođe bila članica redakcije lista „Borba“. Učestvovala je u osnivanju i bila uticajna u radu Antifašističkog fronta žena Jugoslavije (AFŽJ) tokom njegovog postojanja. 1945. godine objavljuje knjigu „Pravo glasa žena dokaz i oruđe demokratije“.
Kao aktivna i istaknuta antifašistkinja, Mitra je bila uhapšena nakon nemačke okupacije Srbije i ona je prva žena upisana u knjizi zatočenika koji su odvedeni u Banjički logor u Beogradu. Nedugo nakon odvođenja u logor, Mitru prebacuju u zatvorsku bolnicu, iz koje uspeva da pobegne zajedno sa dve druge partizanke – Verom Vrebalov i Natalijom Hadžić. Tokom rata preživela je bitke na Sutjesci i Neretvi. Odlikovana je Ordenom bratstva i jedinstva, Ordenom zasluga za narod, Ordenom za hrabrost i Partizanskom spomenicom.
Posle rata Mitra Mitrović postaje prva žena u istoriji Srbije koja ulazi u vladu. Bila je poslanica i u Narodnoj skupštini FNRJ i u Narodnoj skupštini Srbije. Kao ministarka prosvete u vladi Narodne republike Srbije radi od 1945. do 1949., nakon čega je bila ministarka-predsednica Saveta za prosvetu, nauku i kulturu. Na tim položajima, Mitra je imala izuzetno uticajnu ulogu u kulturno-obrazovnom životu Srbije. Međutim, iz političkog života Mitra je izopštena početkom pedesetih godina, nakon što je javno stala u odbranu disidenta Milovana Đilasa (inače bivšeg supruga). Iako uklonjena sa političke pozicije, Mitra je nastavila da se bavi poslovima vezanim za prosvetu i školstvo, u Komisiji za školsku reformu i kasnije kao direktorka Saveznog zavoda za proučavanje školskih i prosvetnih pitanja, do 1963. godine.
Izolovana i razočarana nakon izbacivanja iz politike, Mitra se posvećuje pisanju i prevođenju. U knjizi „Ratno putovanje“ pisala je o svojim iskustvima iz rata, te o pitanju rodne ravnopravnosti u „Položaju žene u savremenom svetu“.
// Mitra Mitrović was the first woman minister in Serbia’s history. She was also a writer, gender equalities activist and she participated in the fight against the occupation during WW2.
During her student days, Mitra was active in students’ and youth organisations, and she participated in demonstration which took place right before the start of WW2. In 1936. she was one of the co-founders of the magazine „Woman today“, which is prohibited in 1940., but comes back in 1943. Mitra was a constant member of „Woman today“, and she contributed to the magazine with articles on gender equality. During the war she was also a member of editorial staff for newspaper „Borba“ (literally translated as „Fight“). She was one of the founding members and an influential figure in the Yugoslav partisan movement Women’s Antifascist Front. In 1945. she published a book titled „Women’s voting right, proof and a tool of democracy“.
As an active and prominent antifascist, Mitra was arrested after the German occupation of Serbia. She is the first woman whose name is written in the prisoner’s list of a concentration camp located in Belgrade that she was taken to. Soon after her imprisonment, she was relocated to a prison hospital, from which she managed to escape alongside with two other partisans – Vera Vrebalov and Natalija Hadzic. During the war she had survived „Battle of Sutjeska“ and „Battle of Neretva“. She was honoured with numerous medals.
After the war Mitra became the first woman minister in the history of Serbia. She was a minister in the National Assembly of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, as well as in the National Assembly of Serbia. She served as a minister of education at the National Assembly of Serbia from 1945. to 1949., and after that she was the president of the Council of education, science and culture. Considering this, she was an influential figure in the cultural and educational life of Serbia. However, she was excluded from politics at the beginning of 1950’s, after she publicly defended political dissident Milovan Đilas (her ex husband). Although sidelined from politics, she continued doing work related to education and schools until 1963.
Isolated and disappointed after being excluded from politics, Mitra dedicated her time to writing i translating. She wrote about her experiences during the war in the book „War travel“, and she wrote about modern day women in the book “Woman’s place in modern society”.